Many years ago, an Adventist friend of ours, Ed MacMakin, was doing a slide presentation of nature photographs on the theme of Psalm 23, the Shepherd’s Psalm. He asked us to help with the music, and these recordings were the result.

In most cases, real instruments were used, but occasionally a synthesized sound was included where suitable instruments were not available.

1. The Lord Is My Shepherd

This hymn is from the old Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, a German melody.

The Lord is my Shepherd, no want shall I know;
I feed in green pastures, safe folded I rest;
He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow,
Restores me when wand’ring, redeems when oppressed.

Through valley and shadow of death though I stray,
Since Thou art my Guardian, no evil I fear;
Thy rod shall defend me, Thy staff be my stay;
No harm can befall, with my Comforter near.

3. Tender Shepherd

This version comes from one of our own songbooks, Song in the Night. The melody is based on a folk song from the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.

The Lord my Shepherd is,
I shall be well supplied;
Since He is mine, and I am His,
What can I want beside?
He leads me to the place
Where heav’nly pasture grows,
Where living waters gently pass,
And full salvation flows.

If e’er I go astray,
He doth my soul reclaim,
And guides me in His own right way,
For His most holy name.
While He affords His aid,
I cannot yield to fear;
Though I should walk thro’ death’s dark shade,
My Shepherd’s with me there.

When in the sultry glebe I faint
Or on the thirsty mountain pant,
To fertile vales and dewy meads
My weary, wandering steps He leads,
Where peaceful rivers, soft and slow,
Amid the verdant landscape flow.

Though in the paths of death I tread,
With gloomy horrors overspread,
My steadfast heart shall fear no ill,
For Thou, O Lord, art with me still;
Thy friendly crook shall give me aid
And guide me through the dreadful shade.

Though in a bare and rugged way,
Through devious lonely wilds, I stray,
Thy bounty shall my pains beguile;
The barren wilderness shall smile,
With sudden greens and herbage crowned,
And streams shall murmur all around.

9. When the Lord’s My Shepherd

There is one other version of Psalm 23 on this website, a new version which we wrote and composed. The words are interpreted in a way that is applicable to the times we live in, and relates to the message of God for our generation. I don’t have a live recording of this yet, but there is an arrangement with sampled sounds. You can view it here: When the Lord’s My Shepherd.